2042

 

Acidic sea, the jelly fish swarm, bonanza

declares the Gloucester Daily Times, July 21 2042

‘fishing hasn’t been this good for decades’

and on the sixth and last page

photos of Dog Town then and Now.

A century apart both treeless but cultivated now

burned off a while ago, been fixed up since then.

The office of Enviromental Crisis told us today, page 3,

‘the sea level rise seems to be leveling off now at  10 feet

ending the period of rapid change’, that’s a relief.

 

The wide Annisquam roars across what used to be the Cut

sloshing back and forth eroding the old drawbridge

and sea wall, covered now, except at low tide.

Mayor declares region hazardous, forbids walking on the wall.

 

The Times tells us the railroad bridge, close to the water

needs fixing again to keep Gloucester’s rocky island cluster

connected to the scattered  islands going to the mainland.

Bridge repairs necessary, ‘recent storms have damaged

the bridges to East Gloucester Island, and Eastern Pt. Isl.’

‘Lighthouse status precarious’ declares Coast Guard.

 

A memorial is planned for the tragic death of Mae Porter

died in a fire on Brier Neck Island.

The fire boat couldn’t reach the Isle

high seas in the Good Harbor inlet blamed.

 

Well, that’s today’s news,

not too bad, considering….

 

Kent Bowker 2015

 

 

 

 

 

Kent Bowker  started with poetry at Berkeley in the Fifties, then became a physicist working mainly in optics.  His new book of poems is Katharsis: Sifting Through a Mormon Past.  He lives in Essex, next to the Great Marshes and is treasurer of the Charles Olson Society.